Fitting a few extra gauges.. Help needed...

[pgunter]

Hello,

This will make @GazHyde 's hair stand up on the back of his neck.. lol.. sorry Gary.

I am looking at adding some extra gauges to my Z3 2.2i. Does anybody have any experience of fitting sensors to the parts of the engine that might help.

Gauges I am looking at installing in the 'M' Console are, 1. Oil Temperature 2. Voltage and the last 3. will be a clock.

Is the best way for the Oil Temp going to be a sump plug sensor ? If so what is a good one for the VDO gauges ?

The electrical Voltage gauge. Any thoughts on where the best connections would be made ?

I know its not everybody's thing, but being old school, I like to see a problem before I have the lights flashing on the dash so I can at least try and stop it before it goes fatal.

All help much appreciated.

 

[bonzo]

I would have thought an oil pressure gauge would be more informative than a temp gauge. You could start to lose pressure when the oil is cool, with no indication.

 

[David Cullen]

Voltage gauge - tap off the battery pos and ground anywhere, use volt meter set to audible to check continuity with ground
I presume the engine has an oil temp sensor so just tap in to the signal wire from that and again ground anywhere.

 

[David Cullen]

Sorry, with volt gauge use the switch live from the radio so it will turn off ;-)

 

[David Cullen]

If the engine dosent have a temp gauge you will have to buy a sandwich plate which sits between the block and oil filter. I dont know if these are readily available?

 

[GazHyde]

@David - am I going slightly mad, or did I read somewhere you are retrofitting the ///M console as part of your interior refurb?

 

[David]

@GazHyde , you're not going mad, I'm at this stage right now, and I'll be pestering @Southernboy with this question when I get to it, should I need to.

This is a nice wiring diagram that Barry has already sent me, regarding the dials:

(Copyright SouthernboySolutions Ltd.)

 

[Lee]

If the engine dosent have a temp gauge you will have to buy a sandwich plate which sits between the block and oil filter. I dont know if these are readily available?

So going by southernboy's diagram we have 99% of whats needed. My only remaining question is the oil temp sender.

Does a non M z3 have one or is it easier to run one off the sump plug.

Thoughts?

 

[pgunter]

Good points raised.. Anybody have an idea what the thread is on the sump plug bolt ?

I will add a few photos when I get the project underway too.

 

[Lee]

Its an M12 1.5 pitch mate. Somthing i have the tools to create if needed.

 

[pgunter]

Thanks @Lee The sensors are a complete block so I hope I can actually get the required threaded sensor.

 

[pgunter]

I have been researching the ideas of the gauges for some time and the idea of where to attach the oil sensor has been ongoing for a while. On the Realoem web page for the oil system it shows a slightly different oil filter housing. When I look at my 2.2i I appear to have a bolt being used for blanking off what could be an idea place for a sensor be it pressure or temperature.

The pages I refer to are..

Item 12 on the linked page.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=CN12&mospid=48081&btnr=11_2201&hg=11&fg=30

You will see the bolt I am referring to to the lower left of the label on image 2914 and clearly shown below the housing bolt on 2913.

Any thoughts ?

 

[g8jka]

I have mine hooked up to the sump which will work but I am never sure it gives a correct reading. Most of the time it only rises to around the first indicator after 50, although on a longer run it goes a bit more but I have never seen it rise further. I don't know if it reads correctly or not and it takes a long time to warm up.

 

[Southernboy]

I have been researching the ideas of the gauges for some time and the idea of where to attach the oil sensor has been ongoing for a while. On the Realoem web page for the oil system it shows a slightly different oil filter housing. When I look at my 2.2i I appear to have a bolt being used for blanking off what could be an idea place for a sensor be it pressure or temperature.

The pages I refer to are..

Item 12 on the linked page.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=CN12&mospid=48081&btnr=11_2201&hg=11&fg=30

You will see the bolt I am referring to to the lower left of the label on image 2914 and clearly shown below the housing bolt on 2913.

Any thoughts ?

There is a neat option...Same socket and head size as the OEM oil drain bolt in the sump....made by VDO and works perfectly...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VDO-323-092-Temperature-Sender-/111405166068?hash=item19f043edf4
Easy to fit and wire up.....No extra bits required...and it's a 12 x 1.5 thread